Multiple nut cracking machine



Nov. 26, 1935. s. MARGHITAN 2,022,356 MULTIPLE NUT CRACKINGMACHINE vFiled May 14, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wm)" ii A I fnveni'or 80111 77701772ii'arz Nov. 26, 1935. s. MARGHITAN 22,3

MULTIPLE NUT CRACKING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [72van i 07" 6'2 jam mar 772 i' fl Nov. 26, 1935. s. MARGHITAN MULTIPLE NUTCRACKING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 5am mar qlzz'i'arzPatented Nov. 26, 1 935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLE NUTCRACKING MACHINE Sam Marghitan, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 14, 1934, Serial No. 725,555 3 Claims. (01. 146-12) Myinvention is a multiple nut cracking machine in which two carriages areoperated by a reciprocating driving mechanism in conjunction with anoscillatory feeding mechanism.

The main objects of my invention are to provide a multiple nut crackingmachine, to provide reciprocal driving means to the die carriages, toprovide an oscillatory feeding means, to provide an adjustable triggermechanism for the cracking die holders, to provide a knockout mechanismfor the movable and stationary dies which operate independently of eachother, to provide a new hopper to facilitate the feeding mechanism, andnumerous minor objects which will be made apparent in a furtherdiscussion of my invention in this specification.

My multiple nut cracking machine is entirely new in construction andoperation and is advantageous over other nut cracking machines in thatthe nuts are fed uniformly and placed in position for cracking by a moreefficient feeding mechanism. The two cracking dies on each carriage areindependently adjustable, thus preventing the crushing of the nut orleaving uncracked nuts. The knockout mechanism of each movable die islikewise independently operating. The carriage is given a rectilinearmotion by having side arms on the carriage slidable in a groovedguideway in the sides of the stationary frame. The two carriages arereciprocally operated thereby doubling the number of nuts handled perminute. The cracked nuts are dropped into a retainer below the machinethereby conserving space. The machine as a whole is more compact andhigher in operating efficiency than any other machine of this class inuse at the present time.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of the entire machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the machine with the hopper removed.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the machine taken on line 3-3of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the driving mechanism taken on line 5-5 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a cross section through the center of the hopper taken on theline 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is a cross section showing the kick out arrangement of thestationary dies and the hinged feed trough.

Fig. 8 is a same section of Fig. 7 but in emptying position.

Fig. 9 is a plan section of one of the die holders showing theconstruction of knockout mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section of the die carriage taken on line l[!!l ofFig. 9, showing the pawl in engagement with the ribbed surface of the 5cracking die holder.

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the die carriage showing amodified form of tripping means for the die holder.

In the form shown in the accompanying draw- 10 ings, this machinecomprises two movable die carriages I, which slide in grooves 2 of astationary frame 3, the upper side of the grooves 2, being formed by ,arack plate 4, suitably bolted to the frame 3. A plate l2 secured to thecarriage 15 I over the die holders 9, is cast with two pair of flanges 5between which a trigger pawl 6 is pivotally supported directly over aribbed portion I on the die holder 9, the pawl 6 has a side arm orfollower 6' which rides on the periphery of a 20 cam 8 adjustablysecured to the sides of the frame 3, the cam 8 has a recess 8 in itsperiphery which permits the pawl to drop into engagement with the ribbedportion 1 of the die holder 9. The die holder 9 is held down in a slotof carriage l 25 by the plate l2 and pinned to the side of the dieholder 9, Fig. 9, is a spring 13, anchored to the carriage I, toresiliently bring back the die holder 9 after the cracking of the nut bythe die M, which is screwed into the end of the die holder 9. 30Centrally located in holder 9 is an aperture 55, with a removableslotted plate i6, affixed in the side of holder 9, slidable in aperturel5, and protruding through the slot in plate I6 is a knockout lever I1,in which is threaded a knockout pin 35 [8, the pin l8 passes centrallythrough the die holder 9 and the die M, to eject the nut from the mouthof the die I4 when the lever l'l strikes against the knockout bracketl9, secured to the plate 4 on the frame 3 as the carriage l is moved 40backwards.

Opposite each of the movable cracking dies I4 are stationary dies 20,screwed into the side of housing 2|, Figs. 3 and 4, each of these dies20 has a knockout pin 22 screwed into a cross arm 23, 45 which hasattached at its center an actuating rod 24, Figs. 7 and 8, and connectedby pinned connecting arms 25 to a vertical post 26. screwed into thebase of the hinged feed troughs 21, the vertical post 26, abuts againstan adjustable stop 5 28, screwed into the housing 2|. One pair of feedtroughs are actuated up and down by a rod .29, the end of which islinked by arm 30 to a bell crank lever arm 3|, actuated by a cam' 32,Fig. 1. The rod 29 controlling the other pair of feed 55 troughs 21 islinked by arm 33 to a lever 34 geared to a second lever 35, which is incontact with the cam 32, suitable springs hold the levers 3| and 35 inengagement with the cam 32.

Pinned to the cam 32, near its periphery is an arm 36, which is pinnedto a shorter arm 31, and actuating a shaft 38 in oscillatory hopper 39,Figs. 3 and 6. Keyed to the shaft 38 are two feeding arms 40, withgrooved. end portions 4|, to lift a nut from the bottom of the slopedportion 42 of the hopper 39. A main hopper 44 has a spout 43 extendingdownward into the oscillatory hopper 39, and beneath the mouth of spout43 is a semispherical agitating disc 45, which is mounted on a shafthaving a pinion 46 on its lower end thereof. The said pinion 46 is inengagement with a rack 41 secured to the carriage I and movabletherewith. An adjusting bolt 48 is provided for regulating the amount ofagitation of the disc 45. A pair of openings 43 are cut out of the sideof the spout 43 for the passage of nuts into the oscillatory hopper 39.

Extending over the path of the swinging feed arms 46, is a narrow springguard 49, supported by braces 56, which also acts to support the spout43, and as the nut is raised by the feeding arms 40, well above pivotingpoint so as to avoid raising more than one nut at a time, it hits thespring guard 49 and drops down the feeding channel 5|, and onto the Vshaped feeding rack 52, which is bolted to the plate l2, Fig. 3.

Underneath the carriages are two downwardly'extending flanges 53,between which is pinned the connecting rod 54, of one carriage andconnecting rod 55, on the other carriage. These two connecting rods arejointly pinned to the reciprocal driving mechanism shown by Figure 5, inwhich a driving pulley 56 is powered by a suitable motor. The pulley 56is keyed to a sleeve 51 on a shaft 58. The inner end of the sleeve 51 isgeared to a driving gear 59, keyed to a drive shaft 66, supported by thehousing 2| The gears 6| on shaft 66 engage two larger gears'62, keyed tothe crank shaft 58.

Between these two gears 62 is the crank pin 63, on which is connectedthe forked end connecting rod 54, and the straight connecting rod 55.The crank pin 63 is offset from the center of the gear 62, therebygiving a reciprocal motion to the carriages The gears 6| and the shaft69 are of one solid piece and are removed from the housing 2|, byremoval of the screw 64, and thence the sleeve 65. Suitable bushings areprovided for the bearings of shafts 69, 58 and crank pin 63.

The pulley 56 keyed on the sleeve 51 is driven by any suitable power,the geared portion 66 of the sleeve 51, actuates the driving gear 59,keyed to shaft 60, and the gears 6| engaging the gears 62 give asynchronized motion. The offset crank pin 63, to which is connected theconnecting rods 54, and 55 impart a reciprocal motion to the twocarriages slidable in the grooves 2 of the stationary frame 3.

When a nut is fed by the feeding arm 40, down the feeding channel 5| andonto the V shaped rack 52 the carriage is moved backwards by theconnecting rod 54, and the extending ends of the feeding channel 5|,Fig. '3, carry the nut past the end of the feeding rack 52, dropping thenut into the feeding trough 21 in position to be cracked. Then as thecarriage moves forward, the nut is caught between the die l4 and the die20, the die holder 9 resiliently moves back against the action of thespring l3, Fig. 10, until the follower arm l1 strikes against the knockout bracket |9 and moves the knock out pin l8 forward through opening indie I4, ejecting the nut or fragments of nut. Meanwhile the cam 32,engages the bell crank lever 3| and lever arm 39, actuating the rod 29,thereby lowering the hinged feed troughs emptying the cracked nut intoretainer below machine, the vertical post 26, linked by the arm 25 torod 24, Figs. 8 and 9, actuates the rod 24, and the cross arm 23 withknock out pins 22 moves forward ejecting the fragments of nut from thestationary dies 20.

While the dies l4 and 29 were cracking the nut, the feeding arm 4!) feda second nut down the feeding channel 5| and onto the V shaped rack 52;the second nut is moved forward in rack 52, as the carriage movesbackwards, shortly before the carriage reaches its farthest point, thecam 32 releases the hinged feed trough 21 in time to catch the secondnut from the rack 52 and the carriage again moves forward to crack 5 thesecond nut and at the same time receive the third nut in the rear offeed rack 52. While this carriage is in its forward or crackingposition, the other carriage is in the alternate or back position due tothe reciprocating action of the driving mechanism, transmitted by theconnecting rods 54 and 55.

The feeding arms 46, oscillating in the hopper 39, are so adjusted as tofeed a nut by means of the feed channel 5|, to the feed rack 52 at themoment the carriage is in its forward or cracking position. One completerevolution of the cam 32, makes one complete oscillation of the feedingarms 40, in the same time each carriage makes a forward and backwardmotion, or a backward and forward motion.

The trigger operating means of a modified form is shown in Fig. 11 andcomprises an eccentric lifting arm 61 pivotally secured to theprojecting shaft 68, the weight of the leg 69 of the arm 61 normallyraises the side arm or follower 6' of the trigger pawl 6; as thecarriage moves forward the leg 69 engages the bracket 16 adjustablysecured to the plate 4 on the frame 3, and

as the leg 69 is knocked up the follower 6' is lowered and the triggerpawl 6 drops into engagement with the ribbed portion 1 of the die holder9.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein"shown and described, it

will be understood that numerous details may be modified or omittedwithout departing from the spirit of this invention,

What I claim is:

1. In a nut-cracking machine including a pair of movable dies and a pairof stationary dies, knock-out rodsslidably mounted in said dies, meansfor intermittently moving the knock-out rods in said movable dies, meansfor intermittently moving the knock-out rods in said stationary diescomprising a hinged feed trough, rods mounted in said feed troughs,levers having one and connected to said rods, a bell crank having onearm connected to the other end of one of said levers, a second leverhaving one end connected to the other end of the other of said firstnamed levers, a pinion connected to the other end of said second namedlever, a second pinion adapted to mesh with said first named pinion, acam, means for rotating said cam, said last named arm adapted to engagesaid cam at one side thereof, the other arm of said bell crank beingadapted to engage the other side of said cam, springs adaptedto holdsaid arms in engagement with said cam, an upright carried by said feedtrough, and a link having one end connected to said upright and theother end connected to the knock-out rods in said stationary dies.

2. In a nut-cracking machine including a pair of aligned movable diesand stationary dies, knock-out rods slidably mounted in said dies, meansfor intermittently moving the knock-out rods in said movable dies, meansfor intermittently moving the knock-out rods in said stationary diescomprising a hinged feed trough adapted to straddle each of said pair ofmovable and stationary dies when said movable dies are in closedposition, rods mounted in said feed troughs, levers having one endconnected to said rods, a bell crank having one arm connected to theother end of one of said levers, a second lever having one end connectedto the other end of the other of said first named levers, a pinionconnected to the other end of said second named lever, a second pinionadapted to mesh with said first named pinion, a cam, means for rotatingsaid cam, said last named arm adapted to engage said cam at 'one sidethereof, the other arm of said bell crank being adapted to engage theother side of said cam, springs adapted to hold said arms in engagementwith said cam, an upright carried by said feed trough, and a link havingone end connected to said upright and the other end connected to theknock-out rods in said stationary dies, said'feed trough being adaptedto be lowered when said movable dies are in open position.

3. A nut-cracking machine including a frame member, a pair of alignedstationary dies mounted in opposite directions in said frame, a pair ofmovable dies mounted on said frame and adapted to abut said stationarydies when in closed position, means for moving said movable dies,knock-out rods movably mounted in said movable and stationary dies,means for intermittently moving the knock-out rods in said movable dies,and means for intermittently mov ing the knock-out rods in saidstationary dies comprising a hinged feed trough adapted to straddle eachof said pair of movable and stationary dies when said movable dies arein closed position, rods mounted in said feed troughs, levers having oneend connected to said rods, a bell crank having one arm connected to theother end of one of said levers, a second lever having one end connectedto the other end of the other of said first named levers, a pinionconnected to the other end of said second named lever, a second pinionadapted to mesh with said first named pinion, a cam, means for rotatingsaid cam, said last named arm adapted to engage said cam at one sidethereof, the other arm of said bell crank being adapted to engage theother side of said cam, springs adapted to hold said arms in engagementwith said cam, an upright carried by said feed trough, and a link havingone end connected to said upright and the other end connected to theknock-out rods in said stationary dies, said feed trough being adaptedto be lowered when said movable dies are in open position.

SAM MARGHITAN.

